Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

D. E. KEMPSTER.

THILL GOUPLING'. v No. 381,642. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcs,

DANIEL E. KEMPSTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

THlLL-COUPLING.

QPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,642, dated December 1,1885.

Application filed September 2!, 1885. Serial No. 177,674. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL E. KEMPsTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Thill-Springs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to coil-springs to prevent shaft-couplings upon vehicles from rattling. Springs of various kinds are used for this purpose, the most common of which are india-rubber blocks. Flat steel springs have been used, and also coiled springs having the ends hooked over to catch on the side ears of the axle-clip, and thus hold in place; but there are more or less objections to all of them, both in costof production and durability-as, for instance, the india-rubber is expensive, and it soon becomes hard and loses its elasticity, and consequently fails in its purpose. Flat steel springs are costly on account of the large percentage of waste consequent upon punching out of sheet metal springs of aproper shape to adapt themselves to the shaft-coupling; also, the temper is apt to be very unreliable, either too soft, so they set, or too hard, so they break in getting them into the couplings. They are also very apt to break in frosty weather, much more so than any coil-spring having more elasticity. Coil-springs are best adapted for use for this purpose, owing to the constant vibration of the parts; but as heretofore constructed with hooked ends they necessitate several operations in their manufacture and have to be handled over too many times before the spring is completed; also, there is a large percentage of waste caused by breakage of the springs when the short hooks (before spoken of) are turned on the ends, and as the forming of the hooks is the last operation, or after it is all wound or coiled up, the wire of which it is composed is wasted, as the broken parts cannot be worked up into dowel-pins or similar articles, and the time spent in forming and winding the spring is lost. Furthermore, coil-springs depending on a short bend or hook projecting over the side ears of the axle-clip are apt to be broken when the shafts are being elevated, as the friction of the eye 4 of the shaft-iron tends to press down and force out the spring from the coupling, thus bringing considerable strain upon the singlewire hooks.

Now, my improvement has for its object to produce a cheaper and better spring, which I have accomplished by eliminating all of the aforesaid objections and producing a new form of coiled spring better adapted to its purpose.

Figure l is a perspective view showing the spring as applied to an ordinary shaft-coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thespring. Fig. 8 is a plan view; and Fig. 4, a sectional side view on the line A B in Fig. 3 of a modification of my device, which will be explained more fully hereinafter.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The spring herein shown and described and constituting animproved article of manufacture consists of a T-headed coiled spring, which is preferably made of a single piece of wire, bent as herein shown, the wire being bent at about the center of its length to form a T-head,

bight, or loop, a, which extends out over the side ears, 1 and 2, of the axle-clip 3, as shown in Fig. 1, thus holding the spring securely in place by the double strength of the bight or loop as compared with single hooks or bends referred to. The wire is coiled at b and c to form two short springs in line with each other, in the usual manner. The end portions cl and e extend out nearly or quite the length of the central portion having the T- head. In constructing this spring the shortest bends are in the T-head or bight, which is the first part formed; consequently if any break verylittle labor is lost, and the broken pieces remaining straight can therefore be all worked up into pins or other small articles.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification,in which I use an ordinary coil-spring having a T-headed casting or other piece having means to attach itself thereto, and thus support the spring within the coupling. It is of course apparent that either of these springs might be inserted within the couplings the other way about from that shown in Fig. 1, and in that case the portions cl and 6 would bear against the shaft-eye 4 instead of the axle-clip. This manner of placing them, as well as the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, may be preferable for certain kinds of couplings; but the spring and the manner it is inserted (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) are as I prefer it for ordinary use.

I claim 1. The anti-rattling thill-spring composed DANIEL E. KEMPSTER.

Witnesses:

B. M ANGEVINE, HENRY OHADBOURN. 

